13 DPO, which is 13 days post-ovulation, is an ideal time to begin picking up on pregnancy symptoms. But what exactly are these symptoms that confirm if conception has been successful?
Read on to know more about how to identify early pregnancy signs you can’t miss!
With intercourse, you did the needful on your part. Now, you are waiting with bated breath to know the status of conception.
Did it happen? Am I really pregnant?
In your anxiety, you may even proceed to take a pregnancy test soon after sex. But testing early, before the signs have started to show, may throw up a negative result, only leading to disappointment.
Well, the good news is, around 13 DPO, you can expect to get some answers. This article explores the changes your body undergoes within two weeks of conception and the 13 DPO symptoms you should be on the lookout for.
What Is Happening In Your Body At 13 DPO?
At 13 DPO, your body may show pregnancy symptoms like light spotting, cramping, tiredness, nausea, or, as you know, “morning sickness.”
Your body produces higher levels of pregnancy hormones like progesterone and hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) when you become pregnant, and that’s why you may have these symptoms.
If you don’t experience a single one of these symptoms, it doesn’t mean you are not pregnant. It could be that your hormonal levels are low and need to rise further to produce these symptoms. So, don’t be disappointed.
At 13 DPO, Can You Know You Are Pregnant?
Getting pregnant can feel like a sport as there are so many things to do at each stage.
If you are on the journey of getting pregnant, waiting for the right time to take a pregnancy test may be nerve-wracking.
Is there even a suitable time to take a test? You have to remember that your body needs to change in specific ways for a home test to work accurately.
Picture this. You have sex with your partner during your fertile window, which is marked around ovulation (when the ovary releases an egg).
Next, you are eager to find out if you are pregnant. But will testing early give you the correct result?
For instance, testing at 4 DPO (days past ovulation) will not give you the answer you want to hear. This is because implantation – when the zygote attaches to the uterus, kicking off pregnancy – hasn’t yet occurred at 4 DPO.
Without the vital implantation process, you cannot expect to know if you are pregnant. Implantation occurs anywhere between 6 to 12 DPO, more commonly between 8 to 10 DPO.
However, further on, some women may begin noticing some pregnancy symptoms. At 8 DPO, for example, signs like morning sickness, light spotting, and breast tenderness may emerge.
Similarly, while some people notice symptoms at 13 DPO, others may not. This is perfectly normal. Remember, all bodies function differently and at their own pace. 13 DPO would be an excellent time to keep an eye out for pregnancy signs.
The following explainer will help you understand the changes you will likely see at 13 DPO.
13 DPO Symptoms You Should Keep An Eye Out For:
As we mentioned, bodily changes during early pregnancy will vary from person to person. For many, signs could even begin showing up later or earlier than the normal ten days after ovulation (10 DPO), generally when implantation occurs. Nonetheless, these are usually the 13 DPO symptoms ending in BFP (a Big Fat Positive on your pregnancy test):
- Spotting
You may experience light bleeding at 13 DPO. This is called implantation bleeding. After you have sex with your partner during your fertile window, the sperm fertilizes the egg. They unite to form a zygote which goes down to the uterine lining for implantation. The point of attachment to the womb may burst tiny blood vessels, leading to 13 DPO spotting.Implantation bleeding occurs between day 10 to day 14 after conception. However, this estimate often comes with the time you ovulated. But here comes the tricky part. Your period also happens roughly about the time of implantation bleeding (14 DPO).
This is the simple reason you can easily mistake implantation bleeding or spotting for your period. Although, there are some differences between the two. For starters, implantation bleeding is lighter and short-lived, unlike your period. Here is a guide to know what implantation bleeding looks like.
- Cramps
When implantation occurs, you may experience mild pinch-like pain in your abdomen. These 13 DPO cramps can also be an early sign of successful pregnancy.
Again, there is a possibility of confusing these cramps with period cramps or with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. But know that implantation pain is not as painful and discomforting as your regular period cramps. It would be best if you also didn’t rely on cramps as the main pregnancy symptom since it is an objective experience, and not everyone may feel it. - Breast Tenderness and Enlargement
If you had successful implantation, you might notice that your breasts start becoming more sensitive and larger. They may be tender to the touch, and you may feel a slight, dull pain in them. You could also notice that your nipples and areolas (the dark portion of your breast) is getting darker.These changes in your breasts happen thanks to the spiked levels of pregnancy hormones progesterone and estrogen, which increase during this period to support the processes of childbearing.
- Fatigue
As your body works in overdrive to make arrangements for your growing fetus, you may feel more tired. You also feel tired because there is an increase in your pregnancy hormones, especially progesterone, making you feel drowsy.
As we said earlier, your body changes, including your circulatory system. Blood vessels that go to the uterus will expand to increase blood flow to your womb. Consequently, this can reduce your blood pressure and increase fatigue. - Nausea
The movies weren’t lying when they showed women rushing to the bathroom sink one morning, with one hand over their mouth, only to find out they were pregnant. It’s true, more or less, since feelings of nausea or vomiting are common pregnancy symptoms. Though this phenomenon is colloquially known as morning sickness, know that it can happen at any time of the day or night.Along with morning sickness comes a heightened sense of smell and taste to certain odors and foods.
After fertilization and implantation, your body releases high amounts of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Its level increases rapidly every 48 hours during early pregnancy and peaks at around 10-12 weeks of pregnancy. These high levels of hCG have been proven to cause morning sickness in some women. hCG is also the hormone that pregnancy tests pick up to show a positive result.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, including women with ectopic pregnancies because they have a lower hCG level.
13 DPO No Symptoms: What Should You Do?
First off, no symptoms at 13 DPO doesn’t mean that you have not yet conceived. Late ovulation or late implantation, in general, could cause late or no symptoms.
Don’t forget that your pregnancy journey is different from another person’s journey. Not all women experience all the symptoms above, but they still come out with a BFP!
But getting a 13 DPO BFP is not a standard measure of confirming pregnancy since the results may vary for each individual. We advise you always to wait to take a pregnancy test a couple of days after your missed period to confirm your pregnancy status.
We recommend waiting to ensure that implantation has happened and your hCG levels are high enough to be detected in a pregnancy test.
13 DPO BFN: Can You Still Be Pregnant?
If you’ve been following all the tips on getting pregnant to the T, you won’t be ready to take no for an answer, right? But you should know that it is still possible to do everything right and get a BFN (big fat negative) on your routine pregnancy test.
Take a look at how most pregnancy tests work. A typical at-home urine pregnancy test works on the amount of hCG hormone in your urine. If implantation has not occurred, the hCG level will not be high enough to give you a positive result in your blood or urine test.
Although it may sound heartbreaking, don’t lose hope because there’s still a chance of you confirming your pregnancy. It is advisable to retake the pregnancy test after a few more days at home or in your doctor’s office, preferably a few days after your missed period.
Remember that these pregnancy tests rely on increasing hCG levels, which happens only after implantation. Your implantation day may delay more than the standard 6–12 DPO, so retaking a test can help you clear the doubt.
Summary
- When you get to 13 DPO, your body may show signs that you are pregnant.
- Some of these signs are light bleeding, minor cramps, tiredness, and nausea.
- These signs usually happen because of the high amount of pregnancy hormone hCG and progesterone secreted after implantation.
- Yet again, it is possible to be pregnant and see no symptoms at 13 DPO as all bodies function on different timelines. So if you’re not seeing any signs for almost two weeks, there’s no need to worry!
- If you get a negative result (BFN) at 13 DPO, you may want to retake the pregnancy test a few days later or consult your doctor.
- Remember that pregnancy tests work on the level of the hCG hormone. If this level is high, usually after implantation, you will get a positive result. Contrarily, if it is low, your pregnancy test may come out negative.
